What does つく (tsuku | つく) mean in Japanese?

The Japanese word

大きな集団の尻につくより頭になれ。
ōkina shūdan no shiri ni tsuku yori atama ni nare.
Better be the head of a cat than the tail of a lion.

彼女はよく嘘をつくので信頼できない。
kanojo wa yoku uso o tsuku node shinrai deki nai.
She cannot be relied on because she often tells lies.

彼は良くうそをつくから信用出来ない。
kare wa yoku uso o tsuku kara shinyō deki nai.
As he often tells lies, he is not to be relied on. | We can't trust him because he often tells lies.

彼はよく嘘をつくから、信用出来ない。
kare wa yoku uso o tsuku kara, shinyō deki nai.
As he often tells lies, he is not to be relied on. | We can't trust him because he often tells lies.

私があなたに１ドル払えば清算がつく。
watashi ga anata ni ichi doru harae ba seisan ga tsuku.
If I pay you a dollar, we'll be even.

外国へ行くのは高くつくにちがいない。
gaikoku e iku no wa takaku tsuku ni chigai nai.
Visiting a foreign country must be expensive.

他の女にとられるよりは、諦めつくもん！
ta no onna ni tora reru yori wa, akirame tsu kumon!
I'd just be able to give up better than if you were taken by some other woman. | I'd rather give up than have you taken by another woman.

逃げられないように彼をきつくしばった。
nige rare nai yō ni kare o kitsuku shibatta.
We tied him up so that he wouldn't be able to escape.

本物の皮を使う方が結局は安くつくだろう。
honmono no kawa o tsukau hō ga kekkyoku wa yasuku tsuku daro u.
It'll be cheaper in the long run to use real leather.

彼は列車に間に合うように最善をつくした。
kare wa ressha ni maniau yō ni saizen o tsukushi ta.
He did his best to be in time for the train.

確かに車は便利だが、結局高いものにつく。
tashika ni kuruma wa benri da ga, kekkyoku takai mono ni tsuku.
A car is convenient, to be sure, but, after all, it will prove expensive.

昼間でも連絡がつく電話番号をご記入下さい。
hiruma demo renraku ga tsuku denwa bangō o go kinyū kudasai.
Please enter a telephone number where you can be contacted during the day, too.

悪い癖はいったんつくとなかなか取れないものだ。
warui kuse wa ittan tsuku to nakanaka tore nai mono da.
A bad habit, once formed, cannot easily be got rid of.

彼女の話は本当であるはずがない。彼女はよく嘘をつく。
kanojo no hanashi wa hontō de aru hazu ga nai. kanojo wa yoku uso o tsuku.
Her story can't be true. She often tells lies.

過去の栄光にしがみつくのを止めないと、取り残されていく。
kako no eikō ni shigamitsuku no o tome nai to, torinokosa re te iku.
Stop clinging to your glory days, or you'll be left behind.

悪い習慣はいったん身につくと、抜け出すのが難しいことがある。
warui shūkan wa ittan mi ni tsuku to, nukedasu no ga muzukashī koto ga aru.
Once you've got into a bad habit, it can be difficult to get out of it.

表面的な物事に一喜一憂する人が人を管理する立場につくべきではない。
hyōmen teki na monogoto ni ikkīchiyū suru hito ga hito o kanri suru tachiba ni tsuku beki de wa nai.
Somebody who wavers between hope and fear over superficial things should not be appointed to a management position.

ホームページをつくるのもいいけど、著作権の侵害になるようなことはしてはいません。
hōmupēji o tsukuru no mo ī kedo, chosaku ken no shingai ni naru yō na koto wa shi te wa i masen.
It's fine to set up a web page, just be sure you don't infringe anybody's copyright.

他人の意見を押さえつけることはできても、自分の発言がどんな結果に結びつくかを想像できていない。
tanin no iken o osaetsukeru koto wa deki te mo, jibun no hatsugen ga donna kekka ni musubitsuku ka o sōzō deki te i nai.
Even if the opinions of others can be suppressed, I cannot imagine to what results my speech may lead.

	The Japanese word
	つく
	is pronounced
	tsuku \| つく
	means
	be lighted

	Examples:
	大きな集団の尻につくより頭になれ。 ōkina shūdan no shiri ni tsuku yori atama ni nare. Better be the head of a cat than the tail of a lion.
	彼女はよく嘘をつくので信頼できない。 kanojo wa yoku uso o tsuku node shinrai deki nai. She cannot be relied on because she often tells lies.
	彼は良くうそをつくから信用出来ない。 kare wa yoku uso o tsuku kara shinyō deki nai. As he often tells lies, he is not to be relied on. \| We can't trust him because he often tells lies.
	彼はよく嘘をつくから、信用出来ない。 kare wa yoku uso o tsuku kara, shinyō deki nai. As he often tells lies, he is not to be relied on. \| We can't trust him because he often tells lies.
	私があなたに１ドル払えば清算がつく。 watashi ga anata ni ichi doru harae ba seisan ga tsuku. If I pay you a dollar, we'll be even.
	外国へ行くのは高くつくにちがいない。 gaikoku e iku no wa takaku tsuku ni chigai nai. Visiting a foreign country must be expensive.
	他の女にとられるよりは、諦めつくもん！ ta no onna ni tora reru yori wa, akirame tsu kumon! I'd just be able to give up better than if you were taken by some other woman. \| I'd rather give up than have you taken by another woman.
	逃げられないように彼をきつくしばった。 nige rare nai yō ni kare o kitsuku shibatta. We tied him up so that he wouldn't be able to escape.
	本物の皮を使う方が結局は安くつくだろう。 honmono no kawa o tsukau hō ga kekkyoku wa yasuku tsuku daro u. It'll be cheaper in the long run to use real leather.
	彼は列車に間に合うように最善をつくした。 kare wa ressha ni maniau yō ni saizen o tsukushi ta. He did his best to be in time for the train.
	確かに車は便利だが、結局高いものにつく。 tashika ni kuruma wa benri da ga, kekkyoku takai mono ni tsuku. A car is convenient, to be sure, but, after all, it will prove expensive.
	昼間でも連絡がつく電話番号をご記入下さい。 hiruma demo renraku ga tsuku denwa bangō o go kinyū kudasai. Please enter a telephone number where you can be contacted during the day, too.
	悪い癖はいったんつくとなかなか取れないものだ。 warui kuse wa ittan tsuku to nakanaka tore nai mono da. A bad habit, once formed, cannot easily be got rid of.
	彼女の話は本当であるはずがない。彼女はよく嘘をつく。 kanojo no hanashi wa hontō de aru hazu ga nai. kanojo wa yoku uso o tsuku. Her story can't be true. She often tells lies.
	過去の栄光にしがみつくのを止めないと、取り残されていく。 kako no eikō ni shigamitsuku no o tome nai to, torinokosa re te iku. Stop clinging to your glory days, or you'll be left behind.
	悪い習慣はいったん身につくと、抜け出すのが難しいことがある。 warui shūkan wa ittan mi ni tsuku to, nukedasu no ga muzukashī koto ga aru. Once you've got into a bad habit, it can be difficult to get out of it.
	表面的な物事に一喜一憂する人が人を管理する立場につくべきではない。 hyōmen teki na monogoto ni ikkīchiyū suru hito ga hito o kanri suru tachiba ni tsuku beki de wa nai. Somebody who wavers between hope and fear over superficial things should not be appointed to a management position.
	ホームページをつくるのもいいけど、著作権の侵害になるようなことはしてはいません。 hōmupēji o tsukuru no mo ī kedo, chosaku ken no shingai ni naru yō na koto wa shi te wa i masen. It's fine to set up a web page, just be sure you don't infringe anybody's copyright.
	他人の意見を押さえつけることはできても、自分の発言がどんな結果に結びつくかを想像できていない。 tanin no iken o osaetsukeru koto wa deki te mo, jibun no hatsugen ga donna kekka ni musubitsuku ka o sōzō deki te i nai. Even if the opinions of others can be suppressed, I cannot imagine to what results my speech may lead.

	Examples sourced from tatoeba.org